2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Moku
A surname derived from the Hawaiian word for island or islet.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Moku. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Moku surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Moku in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Moku, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 52.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (38.1%) and White (6.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Moku
The surname MOKU is believed to have originated in Japan during the late 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Japanese word "moku," which means "wood" or "tree." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person who worked with wood, such as a carpenter or a lumberjack.
The earliest known records of the name MOKU date back to the late 1500s, when it appeared in various local records and documents from the Kanto region of Japan. Some historians believe that the name may have been associated with certain villages or towns in this area, where woodworking or forestry were important industries.
One notable historical figure with the surname MOKU was Moku Shogen, a Buddhist monk who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was known for his work in promoting Zen Buddhism and for his writings on meditation and spiritual teachings.
In the 18th century, the name MOKU appeared in several historical records from the Edo period (1603-1868). One such record mentions a samurai named Moku Masatoshi, who served under the Tokugawa shogunate in the early 1700s.
Another prominent figure with the surname MOKU was Moku Kiyomi, a renowned artist and woodblock printer who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His works were highly influential in the development of traditional Japanese printmaking techniques.
During the Meiji era (1868-1912), the name MOKU gained wider recognition across Japan. One notable individual from this period was Moku Hiroshi, a political activist and writer who advocated for democratic reforms and social justice.
Throughout the 20th century, several individuals with the surname MOKU achieved recognition in various fields, including literature, sports, and academia. However, as this report focuses on the historical origins and early records of the name, detailed information about more recent individuals is not included.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Moku
Among Census respondents with the surname Moku, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 52.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (38.1%) and White (6.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Moku bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Moku surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander52.2% · 59
- Two or more races38.1% · 43
- White6.2% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Moku
Moku appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+13 bearers (+13.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 13,754 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+13.0%) | Up 13,754 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Moku surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #160,975 | #147,221 | 8.5% |
| Count | 100 | 113 | 13.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 26.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Moku bearers went from 100 to 113 (+13.0% change). The surname moved up 13,754 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #147,221.
FAQ
Moku surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Moku?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Moku. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Moku?
Moku ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Moku. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Moku.
Has Moku become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Moku went from 100 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 13 (+13.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Moku?
Among Census respondents with the surname Moku, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 52.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (38.1%) and White (6.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Moku in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.2% (59 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Moku appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (52.2%), Two or More Races (38.1%), White (6.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Moku (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Moku mean?
A surname derived from the Hawaiian word for island or islet. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Moku (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Moku?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.